axiom-accessibility

---
name: axiom-accessibility
description: "Use when fixing or auditing ANY accessibility issue — VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, color contrast, touch targets, WCAG compliance, App Store accessibility review."
---

## Cursor UI Tool Availability

`xcui` is Axiom's own tool, distributed separately from the Cursor plugin; it has no Axiom MCP wrapper. Before UI automation, check `command -v xcui`. If absent, use a stable Axiom repository checkout and locate `<axiom-checkout>/.claude-plugin/plugins/axiom/tools/xcui`, where `<axiom-checkout>` is that checkout's absolute root. Before using either discovered executable, verify it is executable and run `--help`; substitute that verified absolute path for every `xcui` command, then run `doctor`. Do not use the cached `axiom-cursor/` plugin directory as the checkout root. If xcui remains unavailable, AXe fallback is limited to compatible input verbs: `tap`, `slider`, `type`, `swipe`, `drag`, `touch`, `gesture`, `button`, `key`, `key-sequence`, `key-combo`, and `screenshot`. Then check `command -v axe` before that fallback; add `--tap-style physical` to every `axe tap` and handle `DEVELOPER_DIR` explicitly if AXe reports a SimulatorKit loading error. AXe cannot replace `wait`, `assert`, `a11y`, `dialog`, `voiceover`, `resize`, or `doctor`. If neither tool is available, stop UI automation, explain the checkout setup requirement, and continue only with non-UI simulator and log checks. If AXe exists but the requested workflow requires an xcui-only capability, stop that UI workflow and report the limitation.


# Accessibility

**You MUST use this skill for ANY accessibility work including VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, color contrast, WCAG compliance, and UX flow auditing.**

## Cursor Subagent Routing

Delegate to the appropriate Cursor subagent when this router calls for a specialized auditor.

## Quick Reference

| Symptom / Task | Reference |
|----------------|-----------|
| VoiceOver labels, hints, navigation | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| Dynamic Type scaling violations | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| Dynamic Type on tvOS (Large Text, tvOS 27) | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| Long-form reading apps (continuous reading, Speak Screen, text navigation) | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| Captions & subtitle styling in video players (generated subtitles, style preview) | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| Custom control technique choice (adjustable, passthrough, direct touch) | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| Accessibility Nutrition Labels | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| Color contrast (WCAG AA/AAA) | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| Touch target sizes (< 44x44pt) | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| Keyboard navigation (iPadOS/macOS) | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| Button Shapes, Large Content Viewer, Full Keyboard Access, Switch Control | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| VoiceOver order broken after resize / column collapse; table & grid semantics | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| Reduce Motion support | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| Assistive Access (cognitive, iOS 17+) | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| Accessibility Inspector workflows | See `skills/accessibility-diag.md` |
| UX dead ends, dismiss traps | See `skills/ux-flow-audit.md` |
| Buried CTAs, missing empty states | See `skills/ux-flow-audit.md` |
| Missing loading/error states | See `skills/ux-flow-audit.md` |
| Deep link dead ends | See `skills/ux-flow-audit.md` |
| Accessibility dead ends (gesture-only) | See `skills/ux-flow-audit.md` |
| watchOS-specific (VoiceOver rotor on Digital Crown, AssistiveTouch, Double Tap) | See `skills/watchos-a11y.md` |

## Cross-Suite Routes

- Full watchOS development context → See axiom-watchos
- Live accessibility validation on the simulator (set toggles, assert announcements) → `simulator-tester` agent + `xcui` — see axiom-tools (skills/xcui-ref.md)
- Asserting VoiceOver speech in an XCUITest (`XCUIDevice.shared.voiceOverService`, `OS27`) → axiom-testing (skills/ui-testing.md Pattern 7)

## Decision Tree

```dot
digraph accessibility {
    start [label="Accessibility issue" shape=ellipse];
    what [label="What type?" shape=diamond];

    start -> what;
    what -> "skills/accessibility-diag.md" [label="VoiceOver/labels/hints"];
    what -> "skills/accessibility-diag.md" [label="Dynamic Type"];
    what -> "skills/accessibility-diag.md" [label="color contrast"];
    what -> "skills/accessibility-diag.md" [label="touch targets"];
    what -> "skills/accessibility-diag.md" [label="keyboard nav"];
    what -> "skills/accessibility-diag.md" [label="resizable window / desktop-class"];
    what -> "skills/accessibility-diag.md" [label="Reduce Motion"];
    what -> "skills/accessibility-diag.md" [label="Assistive Access"];
    what -> "skills/accessibility-diag.md" [label="custom control techniques"];
    what -> "skills/accessibility-diag.md" [label="continuous reading / text navigation"];
    what -> "skills/accessibility-diag.md" [label="captions / subtitle styling"];
    what -> "skills/accessibility-diag.md" [label="App Store prep / Nutrition Labels"];
    what -> "skills/ux-flow-audit.md" [label="UX dead end/dismiss trap"];
    what -> "skills/ux-flow-audit.md" [label="missing states"];
    what -> "skills/watchos-a11y.md" [label="watchOS VoiceOver / AssistiveTouch / Double Tap"];
    what -> "accessibility-auditor" [label="automated scan" shape=box];
}
```

1. ANY VoiceOver, Dynamic Type (including tvOS Large Text), contrast, touch target, or WCAG issue → `skills/accessibility-diag.md`
2. Assistive Access (cognitive disabilities, iOS 17+) → `skills/accessibility-diag.md`
3. Accessibility Nutrition Labels, or an App Review note about accessibility → `skills/accessibility-diag.md`
4. Reading app: VoiceOver stops at paragraphs/pages, Speak Screen halts → `skills/accessibility-diag.md`
5. UX dead ends, dismiss traps, buried CTAs, missing states → `skills/ux-flow-audit.md`
6. watchOS-specific accessibility (rotor on Digital Crown, AssistiveTouch, Double Tap) → `skills/watchos-a11y.md`
7. Want automated accessibility scan? → `accessibility-auditor` agent or `/axiom-audit` accessibility

## Automated Scanning

**Accessibility audit** → Delegate to the `accessibility-auditor` subagent or `/axiom-audit` accessibility
- VoiceOver labels and hints
- Dynamic Type violations
- Color contrast failures
- WCAG compliance scanning

**UX flow audit** → Delegate to the `ux-flow-auditor` subagent
- Dead-end views, dismiss traps
- Buried CTAs, missing empty/loading/error states
- Deep link dead ends, accessibility dead ends

## Critical Patterns

#### Image Accessibility

- Use `Image(decorative: "photo")` for purely decorative images — automatically hidden from VoiceOver (equivalent to `accessibilityHidden(true)` but semantically clearer)
- Use `accessibilityInputLabels()` for buttons with complex or changing labels — improves Voice Control accuracy by providing alternative labels
- Respect `accessibilityDifferentiateWithoutColor` environment value — when active, provide non-color cues (icons, patterns, labels) alongside color indicators

## Anti-Rationalization

| Thought | Reality |
|---------|---------|
| "I'll add VoiceOver labels when I'm done building" | Accessibility is foundational, not polish. Retrofitting labels across a finished app takes far longer, and until they're done VoiceOver support can't be declared. |
| "My app doesn't need accessibility" | All apps need accessibility. It isn't an App Store rule, but people who rely on VoiceOver or Larger Text can't use the app without it, and its Accessibility Nutrition Labels show that before they download. |
| "Dynamic Type just needs .scaledFont" | Dynamic Type has 7 common violations. accessibility-diag catches them all. |
| "Color contrast looks fine to me" | Visual assessment is unreliable. WCAG ratios require measurement. accessibility-diag validates. |
| "UX issues are just polish" | UX dead ends cause 1-star reviews. They're defects, not enhancements. |
| "The dismiss gesture handles it" | fullScreenCover has no dismiss gesture. That's the trap. |

## Example Invocations

User: "My button isn't being read by VoiceOver"
→ See `skills/accessibility-diag.md`

User: "How do I support Dynamic Type?"
→ See `skills/accessibility-diag.md`

User: "Check my app for accessibility issues"
→ See `skills/accessibility-diag.md`

User: "Prepare for App Store accessibility review"
→ See `skills/accessibility-diag.md`

User: "Scan my app for accessibility issues automatically"
→ Delegate to the `accessibility-auditor` subagent

User: "How do I support Assistive Access?"
→ See `skills/accessibility-diag.md`

User: "How do I prepare my tvOS app for Large Text?"
→ See `skills/accessibility-diag.md`

User: "VoiceOver reads my screen in the wrong order after the window resizes"
→ See `skills/accessibility-diag.md`

User: "How do I support Button Shapes / the Large Content Viewer in my custom controls?"
→ See `skills/accessibility-diag.md`

User: "VoiceOver stops reading at the end of each page in my book app"
→ See `skills/accessibility-diag.md`

User: "How do I let users restyle subtitles or get generated captions in my video player?"
→ See `skills/accessibility-diag.md`

User: "Check for UX dead ends and dismiss traps"
→ See `skills/ux-flow-audit.md`

User: "My fullScreenCover has no way to dismiss"
→ See `skills/ux-flow-audit.md`

User: "Are there missing empty states in my app?"
→ See `skills/ux-flow-audit.md`

• SKILL.md 9 KB
• skills/accessibility-diag.md 51 KB
• skills/ux-flow-audit.md 14 KB
• skills/watchos-a11y.md 15 KB